USRE972E - Improvement in reaping and mowing machines - Google Patents

Description

PATENT OFFICE.

C. H. MCOORMICK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNEE 0F L. J. MCCORMICK,

W. S. MGCORMICK, AND (i. H. MCCORMICK.

IMPROVEMENT |N REAPlN'G AND MowiNcI MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patellisl No. 20,212, dated May 11, 1R58 5y Reissue No. 91 2, dated June' 5, 1860.

DIVISION No. 1.

To all whom t may concern.- l

Be it known that LEANDER J. McCoRMIcK, WILLIAM MCCORMIGK, and GYRUs H. Mc-

. CORMICK, all ot' Chicago, in the county of guards or fingers and the cutter should slide easily over the ground, and especially that it should ride. freely over such inequalities of the surface as usually exist in cultivated meadows, and at the same time it should carry the cutter with its edge near enough to the plane of the under side of the beam to out leaning grass before the latter is reached ,and borne down by the front of the beam.

Theinvention which is the subject. of this patent consists in constructing the beam which carries the fingers and cutter with a wedgelike cross-section, thin at its front edge, that it may not bear down leaning grass below the reach of the cutter, and thicker in rearlto give.

it stiffness and strength. The beam thus formed should be so placed that its under side will slope downward from its front toward its rear, that itmay act thronghontits length and breadth in the manner of a sled-ruimer to pass readily and safely over soft or loose soil without sinking` too deep, and over undulating snrt'aces without runninginto the protuberances. The accompanying drawings represent a McCormick machine adapted to both reaping and mowing, and which embraces, .among `other things, our said improvement; but. we

deem it unnecessary herein to describe any more 0f the machine than is required for an` explanation of the arrangement and operation of our said improvement.

The finger-beam a. is a bar of iron,which in its cross-section is wedge-formed. To its upper surface the fingers b are secured.' rlhe forward edge of this bar should be thin and the back edge thick ,from end to end. The sickle c is arranged to play through the slots of the fingers with its cutting-edge as low or nearly as low as the plane of the Linder `surface of the beam and in advance ot the forward edge of the-beam. that its under surface slopes downward from its front edge toward its rear, to gire it vthe properties ot' a sled along its entire length. Thebottom of the beam is sloped, and its t'ront edge is so thin that in mowing grass which leans forward the under side of the bar will not beat or force -the grass down below the plane of action ofthe sickle, but will permitit to be reached and-cut by the sickle,whicb important result could not in many cases-as for example, when the grass is leaning milch in the direction in which the machine is advancingbe attained, if the bar were ofequal thickness in front and rear, if the cutter were placed in or near the'plane of the top of the bar in the usual position.

'Vhat is claimed under this patent as theinvention ofthe said LEANDER J. MCGORMIGK, WILLIAM S. McCormick, and OYaUs H. Mc-

CoEMIcK, is-

Making the finger-beam of a. mowing-machine ot' a bar of iron wedge-formed in its cross-section, with its lorward edge, which ca rries the fingers, made thin, that the sickle may act upon and cut leaning grass, and with its rearedge thick to obtain the required strength, anLd the under surface inclined and so arranged that it may act like a runner to pass and ride over the surface ot' the ground to keep the cutting-edge of the sickle clear. of obstructions, while at the same time it can have access to leaning grass, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub` scribed my name.

v C. H. MCCORMICK.

Witnesses:

ROB'I. VINCENT,

D. C. JOHNSON.

The bea-m is so arranged

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